This invention relates to an automobile climate control system and, more particularly, to such a system which can be added as an after market item to existing auto air conditioning systems.
There currently exist automobile climate control systems installed as original equipment. There also exists automobile air conditioning/heating systems in which the driver controls the operation of the system to achieve desired ambient conditions. This necessitates sometime frequent changes to fan speed, air duct flow, temperature settings and the like.
The also exists after market climate control systems which are specifically engineered for certain automobile air conditioning units. These devices are quite complicated and are system specific.
An object of this invention is to provide an after market auto climate control system which is universal and can work with most, if not all, preexisting auto air conditioning systems.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a system which is easy and safe to install.
Another object of this invention is to provide a continuous fan speed control to minimize intrusiveness when the fan speed changes.
Still another object of this invention is to organize the components of the system most efficiently such that the major power consuming elements are located away from the driver and passengers while a portion of the control system is located near the driver, with that portion near the driver being small and primarily serving as the source of control signals for the unit.
These and other objects are accomplished by providing an automatic climate control system which is installed by merely connecting the system with preexisting operating circuits in the auto. In the embodiment illustrated, this can be accomplished by making only four electrical connections to insert the invention into the auto's air conditioning system. In another embodiment, only three electrical connections need be made.
The automatic climate control system includes stepless control of the fan motor to achieve and maintain accurate ambient temperature conditions. The climate control works for both heating and cooling and allows the motor to quietly and automatically adjust its operation in response to the automobile's ambient temperature conditions.
A feature of this invention is the universality of the system for after market installation, allowing a single unit to adapt to most existing air conditioning/heating units. One manner in which such universality is achieved is by providing a system which is blind to the automobile, heating and cooling systems and merely requires identifying the terminal for the high side of the fan.
The system comprises two main components, one being a control head which incorporates the automatic temperature setting control easily accessible to the driver, while the other component is the power box which includes electronic circuitry for achieving the desired fan speed control operation. Additionally, a stalk assembly may be provided to allow the ambient temperature sensor to be placed in any desired position to closely control the interior temperature of the automobile.